


Daisy (stability and reliability)

by Circe_Black



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Consort Bilbo Baggins, Eventual Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, Getting Together, M/M, eventually, there's also Fili x Ori and Dwalin x Kili, unbetaed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:33:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27181852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Circe_Black/pseuds/Circe_Black
Summary: Bilbo Baggins misses his dwarves and they miss him too. The entire Shire knows this because of the zinnias planted in the garden.aka Bilbo plants flowers to remind himself of the dwarves he thought he'd never see again.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I wanted to apologize for any continuity errors I have been working on this since July! I hope you enjoy it!
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield
Comments: 28
Kudos: 118





	1. Chapter 1: Zinnia (Thoughts of Absent Friends)

If you had asked Bilbo Baggins a year after he had come back from his misadventure to the lonely mountain if he missed the dwarves, he would have laughed. Loudly and perhaps a bit bitterly. His neighbors had agreed that his trip had not been the best idea and it seemed that the honorable Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End was back to stay. 

That was until he added Zinnias to his garden. 

Hamfast Gamgee was the first to spot this and knew immediately who and what it pertained to. When he told his wife Bell she immediately sent their youngest, Samwise, over with a fresh huckleberry pie, as it was Bilbo’s favorite treat of hers. And the next day, she invited herself over for a bit of a chat around tea time. She had sent a notice because she was a hobbit from a respectable family. Thank you very much. 

“How was it, Mister Bilbo?” She asked leaning on the small gate that separated the front garden of Bag End from the rest of the Shire. Bilbo looked up at her from underneath his big straw hat and rose to his feet. 

“Very good, Missus Gamgee. Was that a new strain?” Bell nodded, delighted over the fact that someone had realized that she had crossbred two of her favorite strains of huckleberry. She opened her mouth to ask if he had tasted the-” And is that blueberry in there with them?” 

“Impeccable taste as always Mister Bilbo!” She said delightedly as the other hobbit opened the gate and led her inside for tea. 

Sometime later after copious amounts of tea, scones, and heaps of gossip Bilbo put his cup down and sighed. He looked up at his long time friend and sighed.

“You’re here about the Zinnias aren’t you?” Bell giggled at his dejected tone but sobered as Bilbo turned to look out his kitchen watching the hustle and bustle of the hobbits passing by. He snorted as one or two looked at the Zinnias in his garden and then at the window before blushing and offering hesitant waves as they passed by.

“If you don’t mind, Bilbo.” She replied softly gently stroking her thumb over the back of Bilbo’s hand as she grabbed another scone. Bilbo snapped back to her as she smiled and bit into the flakey pastry.

“I miss them Bell.” He said earnestly, drinking his tea in mild irritation. Bell giggled again at that and Bilbo joined her. “Even though they are so loud and annoying and and and track MUD EVERYWHERE!” Bell was full-on laughing by the end of his list. “I still miss them.” He huffed setting his teacup and saucer down on the table. 

“You miss some more than others.” Bell pointed out, rather astutely. Bilbo coughed as he choked on his spit he opened his mouth to ask but Bell beat him to it pointing at the Forget-Me-Nots and the Sweet Pea seeds sitting in his gardening box. They both laughed and moved on. 

As they were cleaning up Bell nodded to the box again. 

“Will you tell me about them?” She asked. Bilbo hummed and then looked at the seeds.

“I’ll tell them about them all if you would like.” He offered. Bell raised a delicate eyebrow.

“There’s more.” They made eye contact and dissolved into a fresh round of giggles. 

“Yes.” Bell finished drying the plate and looked out the window at the darkening evening. “Come over for dinner since I imposed on you for both tea AND supper.” 

“Alright,” Bilbo replied with an easy smile as he put away the last dish. 

“Mumma Mumma!” The two elder hobbits turned to the entryway as Samwise barreled in. “There are dwarves in the market.” He paused for dramatic effect and Bilbo suspected for some air. “And they’re headed this way!” He finished triumphantly before running out of the door. The two looked at each other, out the door, and back to each other.

“Shall I instead help you with a meal fit for some undefined number of dwarves?” Bell asked shakily.

“Yes, I do believe that would be very helpful Bell.”

And so the two hobbits hurried to the Gamgees’ for supplies and some good pipeweed. Bilbo was shivering with anticipation and a small amount of fear. Would these dwarves be his company? Or others? Would it be Thorin? Knowing he had a small amount of time the little hobbit let this thought fuel him as he quickly began to prepare a meal fit for...well, a king. 

  
  
  


Thorin Oakenshield was having a hard time celebrating the anniversary of the reclaiming of the mountain, and by the looks of it, his company felt the same way. It wasn’t the same without their burglar. No, not their burglar, but without Bilbo Baggins, their friend. 

“Why don’t you go to him?” Dis’s voice from his right startled him. He turned to his sister and blinked at her like a dullard. Go to him? 

“It might do you some good,” Dain suggested into the beer stein on his left. Thorin turned to him, eyebrows raised. Dain shrugged at his cousin and laughed at his confusion heartily. 

“Could I-” He began.

“We.” His nephews crowed from beside their mother and Thorin looked up to the rest of the Company enthusiastically nodding.

“Could we even get away long enough to make a satisfying trip of it?” Thorin asked.

“Aye.” Came from behind him as Balin put a thick contract on his plate. The Company, his sister, and cousin watched with avid interest. Thorin read over the papers. 

“A contract giving Dis and Dain temporary rulership over Erebor until The Company of Thorin Oakenshield’s return.” The company cheered, Dis, and Dain raised mugs of beer in a toast. “ All important decisions go to me via one of the ravens of Erebor.”

With the throne of Erebor secured the company began to plan for their arrival in the Shire. No one thought to alert the hobbit until they were on the edges of the Shire. Bofur laughed and slapped Bifur on the back,

“He’ll be reminded of the good old days!” And the company roared in approval and joy at the thought of seeing their Mister Baggins again. 

Hobbits, they soon realized, were not all as kind as Bilbo Baggins or as avoidant of gossip. The hobbits eyed them with distrust and they moved through the marketplace with gossip clinging onto their heels. Except for a very round and loud fellow who promptly walked up to Thorin and reached up a hand.

“Hamfast Gamgee, yer highness. Ye look just like Mister Bilbo said ye did.” He rattled off the names of the rest of the company and greeted them in kind. He sat back smiling and a small hobbit boy ran up eyes wide. He dropped down to a small curtsey as he stared at Thorin. 

“Beggin’ yer pardon yer highness. Da shall I go tell Mumma and Mister Bilbo?” He asked eyes incredibly wide.

“Yes, that’s a great idea Samwise!” The hobbit boomed and ruffled his son’s hair before the tike went off running through the market. 

“Now Master Dwarves-” Over the next hour and a bit the dwarves were lead around by Hamfast as he introduced them to Hobbiton. He said it was to help them get acquainted with the village but also to give ‘the missus and Mister Baggins time to cook up a good supper for them’. They had dropped off their ponies at the local barn and paid some fauntlings to take their things to Bag End. 

As they went Thorin had heard mumblings.

“So that’s why he was growing ZINNIAS.” 

“Bag End has ZINNIAS, right?”

“Those ZINNIAS must be for them?”

Based on the looks that the company received with the frequency of the comments it had piqued all of their interests. 

“Mister Gamgee-” Thorin began only to have the robust hobbit cut him off.

“Just Hamfast is fine!” He cried. 

“Right, Hamfast what is the significance of Zinnias?” Thorin asked Hamfast blinked and startled a bit.

“Zinnias are for thoughts of absent friends.” Hamfast recited. “Bilbo began planting them about a week ago I assume that they were for you,” Hamfast said with a shrug before beginning to walk away. “Let’s head off to Bag End, I’m sure those two have cooked us up something marvelous.”

The company felt their hearts lift at the thought of food and what their hobbit thought of them. 

And Hamfast was quite right about the meal. Bilbo had greeted them with enthusiasm and tears in his eyes. He surprised them with rather enthusiastic kisses to each cheek, which left some members of the company blushing more than others. He had introduced them to Bell, who was just as robust as her husband but much prettier. She had given them bone-crushing hugs for ‘taking care of dearest Bilbo on that horrid quest’. They were going to interrupt but Bilbo had laughed and said that ‘the only reason she thought the quest was horrid was that she was a respectable hobbit’. 

They drank and ate late into the night, Thorin noticed how Bilbo and Bofur seemed to be rather close together. Bell began to laugh,

“Sweet Pea!” She crowed, Bilbo and Hamfast began to blush. Bilbo looked stunning with a slight blush on his face. Thorin grumbled into his mug of beer. He thought he had ended those thoughts when the hobbit had left Erebor. 

He looked up and met the hobbit’s eyes. This was going to be a long stay but Thorin knew he was going to love every minute. This was his last thought as his drunken head hit the pillow and he passed out.


	2. Chapter 2:Myrtle (Good Luck in Marriage and Love)

The company woke the next morning to an equally lovely spread. Gloin made his way to sit next to the hobbit who was intently sipping on a small mug of tea. 

“Master Baggins, how do you fare?” He asked the hobbit who looked up with a sweet smile. 

“I’m good, Master Dwarf. How are you and your family?” Gloin immediately brightened and began to tell the hobbit about them. 

“- They are in Ered Luin so I’ll be leaving for a bit as I go get them.” The older dwarf said with a dreamy smile as he imagined seeing his beloved wife and son again. 

“I knew I picked the right one for you,” Bilbo said absentmindedly but before Gloin could say anything he continued. “They are welcome to stay here if you want to get them sooner.”

“Oh no Master Baggins I wouldn’t want to impose-” Gloin began and then laughed at the look that the hobbit was giving him. 

“You have nothing to worry about.” He said sulkily and drank some more of his tea. Gloin clapped the lad on the back and rose to bring his plates to Bifur who was up to his elbows in suds.

“ _ Hello brother, give these a wash for us eh? _ ” He asked in Khuzdul, Bifur shot him an irritated look over his shoulder and growled. Gloin laughed and clapped him on the shoulder and wandered off. 

The job that the hobbit had found for him during the day was helping load carts that were meant to go to the different boroughs throughout the Shire. This meant a lot of hefting heavy boxes in front of the woman who ran the stalls in the marketplace. He was flattered by their giggles but largely ignored them. 

But with this job he learned all sorts about the creatures he now lived near. How they ate so much he would never know. But the one thing no one explained to him was what flowers meant. That was until he began making his regular drop-offs to The Lotus Flower, an apothecary shop near Bywater. An aging hobbit ran the place by the name of Orchid Cotton, who had lived in Bywater all her life. She doubled as the midwife of Bywater, Hobbiton, and Frogmorton if they were dedicated enough. 

“Why are you the midwife?” Gloin asked, a little confused. The hobbit looked at him strangely and muttered to herself. 

“Because of my name. Orchids are flowers that often mean fertility and I run an apothecary. So, a lot of children round these parts were made with help from tinctures and the like of my hand. And then these hands helped them into the world. Understand?” Gloin nodded a little shocked. 

“I didn’t know hobbits were named for their deeds like dwarves.” He sounded a bit breathless with awe. Orchid laughed, a deep throaty sound that would put even the most fussy baby into a set of calm. 

“Not quite laddy,” Gloin tried not to be offended at the fact that she saw him as a child. “ I was named Orchid because I was the daughter of an apothecary and it was in a patch of em that I was conceived.” At the look of abject horror on the dwarf’s face, she howled with laughter. “After me, mam knew that she was expecting. She told me da and for a courtin’ bouquet, he gave her Forget-Me-Nots, Orchids, Sweet Peas, and some Myrtle. Hmm, it was a good marriage indeed.” She added shuffling off.

“What does-” Gloin began only to be cut off.

“Before I forget,” The elderly hobbit hustled over with a small bag. “Master Bilbo Baggins of Bag End asked if I had some Myrtle seeds to plant and I did. Would you please take them to him?” Gloin took the bag.

“Why does he need them and what do they mean?” The hobbitess looked at him with fondness and sat on a stool. She pulled a mortar and pestle towards her and began grinding a small yellow flower. 

“He said that he wanted to grow them because they reminded him of one of his dwarf friends. Said that one or two of ‘em was married,” Here Orchid gave him a look that seemed to strip him to the bone before she continued. “He wants to plant them to remember him and his family. As for what they mean, they mean good luck in love and marriage. I think he means it either in this dwarf either got lucky or he wishes him a long and full of love marriage.” Gloin nodded his assent. 

“Thank you Orchid.” He said truthfully. The hobbitess snorted and nodded. She began bustling around. As he reached the door Orchid once again spoke. 

“Master Dwarf,” she began “if you or Master Bilbo Baggins of Bag End know of anyone who could help me out please send them over.” Gloin nodded and waved and remounted his horse and set out back up to Hobbiton. 

When he finally returned he held out the pouch for Bilbo. 

“For one of the two married in the company, I wonder who it could be for?” He asked with an eyebrow raised but with a fond smile on his mouth. Bilbo returned it, albeit sheepishly as he took his pouch. 

“Yes because you love her very much and I wish for you two to have something maybe to remind yourself that it is good. I will make you a wreath one day, dried of course-” Then the hobbit began to prattle on about how Erebor might be too cold for real blooms. 

“I’ll be leaving for Ered Luin in the morning.” 

“Understood.” The hobbit said tearfully. He embraced the hobbit before he quite realized what he was doing. But as Bilbo buried into him Gloin felt part of his heart melt off into the hobbit in his arms. 

“Goodbye,  _ little star _ .” It was something that he had called Gimli when he was a small child. He had not realized until then that he had viewed the hobbit as sort of a son. He kissed the hobbit’s head and pulled away. 

“We will meet again?” Bilbo asked wiping away his tears. 

“Yes,” Gloin said and made his way to his room, and if he was wiping away tears of his own then really that was his own business wasn’t it. 

Dinner that night was full of Gloin’s favorites, his favorite foods, and songs, and almost all of his favorite people. He also told Bilbo about Orchid’s offer of a job and the hobbit suggested Oin who agreed with only a little prodding. 

Much later when he was headed to his room he saw Thorin. 

“ _ So you saw the hug then _ ?” Thorin started but before his king could speak Gloin continued. “ _ The only thing I feel for that boy is fatherly affection. He is yours should you want him, Your Majesty _ .” 

Thorin blushed and looked away. Gloin felt his heart fill with affection for this lad, that was how he looked when he first told his dearest she was his One. Shy but hopeful and filled with yearning.

“ _ I-I- Is it that obvious _ ?” He sighed finally Gloin huffed a laugh and clapped Thorin on the shoulder. 

“ _ Only to me lad. I know the sight of a dwarf who has found his One. I shall see you again Thorin Oakenshield but maybe with a consort in tow, eh _ ?” He said waggling his eyebrows lavisciously. Thorin boomed out a laugh and his eyes softened as he looked upon the hobbit. 

“ _ Aye, a consort. My One _ .” Gloin pulled him into a brief one-armed hug and went to his bedroom. 

The next morning he awoke before the others as he said all of his goodbyes the night before. Lying on the table was some bread and cheese left by Bilbo and a small wreath. With it was a note. 

‘Come back for when I grow enough Myrtle to make you a proper one. But this should be mayhaps a nice present for the Missus. Don’t forget to eat up.’ The dwarf chuckled fondly at Bilbo’s message and began the long trek to his wife and son. 

When he arrived his wife promptly pulled to their living quarters and showed him how much she had missed him while Gimli was out with friends. After they had finished Gloin looked over at the small Myrtle wreath on the bedside table.

‘Good luck in love and marriage.’ He thought before pulling his wife into his arms. ‘Good luck in love and marriage, indeed.’ 


	3. Magnolia (Lover of Nature)

When the wee hobbit had told him that he needed to get a job Oin almost laughed in his face. Him getting a job? He already had a job as the personal healer to the Crown. And then he had met her Orchid Cotton, middle-aged by Darrow standards but beautiful in his eyes. 

He took the job. What could he say? She was his One. 

Bilbo had run him over on the first day of his official job. Orchid, to Oin’s confusion and surprise, greeted the hobbit with a deep bow. Bilbo laughed it off blushing shyly. They then began to talk of flowers and seeds for growing. 

“Yes, I can get them from Hamfast, thank you though Miss Cotton.”

“Call me, Orchid.” The woman laid a hand on Bilbo’s bicep. Oin felt a jolt of jealousy course through him which surprised him. 

“Only if you call me Bilbo. Have a nice day Oin, Orchid. I’ll be back at the end of the workday to pick you up.” Bilbo said jovially as he left The Lotus Flower humming happily. Orchid watched him with a starstruck look in her clear eyes. 

They worked in tandem making potions and tinctures as they traded war stories and the like. Orchid was a stunningly cheerful woman even as she described the birth of a pair of twins as she had to cut them from their mother’s womb. Oin then shared how he had stitched a man back together. They spent much of the day the same way but the way that she had reacted to Bilbo wouldn’t let him be. 

“Why did you act that way with Mister Bilbo?” Orchid paused and then wiping her hands off idly spoke. 

“The Bagginses of Bag End are very rich and powerful. They are directly related to the Thain, the leader of the Shire, well, through Bilbo’s mother’s side. I believe Bilbo is fourth or fifth in line to be the Thain about now.” Oin couldn’t hide his shock. 

“Bilbo is in line to rule the Shire?”

“He doesn’t really seem like it does he?” She giggled and Oin’s heart warmed. “But the Thain doesn’t do much but collect taxes and dole out minor punishments. We haven’t seen war in many a day but that they also would take care of that too I suppose.”

Oin nodded and then Orchid nodded as well, noticing this the two laughed and continued the same way as they had that morning. 

By the time that Bilbo came to pick up Oin the dwarf had learned the perfect primary courting gift for his beloved and just how much the plants that surrounded them have to give. 

Bilbo had mentioned that he had some business to attend to which led to the dwarves to survive on their own for dinner. Just as they all settled down, Oin picked up a biscuit and began to slather it with jam. 

“Did you know that Bilbo is at minimum fourth in line to rule the Shire?” Thorin promptly choked on the beer he had been drinking. Dwalin, Dori, and Balin gawped at him as Bombur, Bifur, and Ori stared. Bofur turned red while Fili, Kili, and Nori burst out laughing. 

“We pulled a direct descendent through hell and then made him face a DRAGON.” Kili howled as Fili slapped the table. Thorin stared into his drink with a look of abject horror on his face. 

This is why when Bilbo returned home he was surprised to hear all sorts of apologies. He calmed them by saying that he would probably never ‘rule’ because there was nothing to kill off the other heirs. 

The next morning Bilbo was grabbing a basket and a small trowel when Oin walked into the kitchen.

“Morning, Master Oin!” The hobbit cheerfully called. Oin grunted as the hobbit handed him a cup of tea as he took a sip he felt himself wake up. 

“Morning, Master Bilbo. Where are you headed this morning?” He asked as Bilbo hadn’t offered up an explanation before. 

“I’m off to harvest some mushrooms and some wild herbs if you’re interested.” The dwarf hummed and took another sip. 

“Might I come with you? See Orchid,” Bilbo sent him a knowing smile as the dwarf sent him a stern look.” Orchid told me about some things that would help me on the road.” 

So, off they went. In fact, they made a day of it by stopping for lunch with a relative of Bilbo’s. Oin learned more about plants from the hobbit with who he had traveled halfway across Middle Earth with. He vaguely felt ashamed because he knew so little about the hobbit, especially because he had a feeling that his king was rather interested in him. They were making casual conversation as they made their way back to Bag End when Bilbo asked to stop by the market. 

“It’s just to pick up some seeds.” Bilbo made a flippant hand gesture as Oin laughed. 

“Alright lad.” And so they stopped at a local farmer.

“Do you have any uh,” he paused and looked Oin up and down. “Magnolia seeds?” He asked and made a happy deal with the farmer. 

As they made their way up to Bag End Bilbo hummed a bit of a tune. Oin smiled at him and assisted the hobbit with the making of dinner that night. 

It wasn’t until the next day when Orchid had taken some of the plants that he and Bilbo had gathered the day before that he had remembered Bilbo’s conversation with the flower man. 

“Orchid, my One,” as she had accepted his courtship and they were planning to return to Erebor at the end of the month once Orchid had finished training her granddaughter. “What do Magnolias signify?” Orchid shot him a look as she looked up from writing down the tincture and potion recipes. 

“Why darling?”

“Because Bilbo bought some seeds to plant in his garden after looking me up and down and I don’t know whether or not to be offended.” Orchid laughed and kissed him on the cheek.

“Lover of nature and I do believe that quite fits. In more ways than one.” She said with a cheeky wink. Oin laughed and embarrassed his soon to be wife. 

That night he did not return to Bag End for dinner. 

At the end of the month and many tearful goodbyes, Oin and Orchid set off for their new life in Erebor after Thorin had married them in the Shire. The party that followed was one for the history books. Oin and Orchid would tell the tale for many years after. 


	4. Chamomile (patience in adversity)

Bilbo had managed to set Dori up with a tailor from Bree. The man had been skeptical at first but had quickly warmed up to him after seeing his work. However, that didn’t mean that other men saw it that way.

“Get your stinking hands off of me you dirty dwarf!” A rather portly woman sneered as she wrenched herself from Dori’s weak grip. The tailor, Alaric, gripped his shoulder and gave him a grim smile. 

“Mrs. Boulder I can take you now.” The woman smiled cruelly at the dwarf and followed the tailor into the back room. Dori huffed and began sorting through bolts of fabric. 

“Hello hello hello,” Came from behind him as Bilbo entered the shop his arms outstretched. Dori accepted the hug from his friend gratefully. Bilbo sent him a bemused smile as he rubbed his hand up and down the dwarf’s strong back. 

“Rough day, Master Dori?” The kindly hobbit asked his friend and Dori felt himself stifle a sob at the care in his friend’s voice. 

“Please by now I think that you can just call me Dori.” Bilbo gently cupped his face and put their foreheads together. 

“Dori, you are very strong not just physically but emotionally too. Once they see your work they will admire it. And even if they don’t then just create masterpieces for yourself or for those you love.” The two smiled at each other as Dori lightly bumped their foreheads together. The hobbit pulled back and pulled a small package out of his pocket. “Roast beef sandwich for my favorite tailor dwarf. I must be off!” Bilbo pressed a sweet kiss to his cheek and was off. 

Dori smiled after him and returned to his work with vigor. 

However, the confidence that had come with the hobbit soon came undone. The men were aggressive and cruel. The women were dismissive and rude. It ground the dwarf down and made him feel tired and broken. 

However, he always stayed the same as he always had. Bright and considerate and damn hardworking. But he could feel it weighing him down slowly but surely until one day, after about a week of this treatment, Bilbo asked him to come and plant some things in his garden with him. 

“So what are we planting today Bilbo?” He asked smiling happily at his friend after they had cleared a small patch. The dwarf felt lighter and happier than he had for a long time. He attributed some of that fact to the pipeweed that he and the hobbit had shared before starting. 

“Chamomile.” The hobbit said with an easy smile. The dwarf hummed and kneeled down beside Bilbo. 

“Isn’t that tea?” He asked grabbing one of the small white flowers and twirled it in his hand easily. 

“Yes. In fact, it’s the one I use to put myself to sleep.” He said smiling at the flower in Dori’s hand. “Plus I like the meaning.” His nose wrinkled as he began to plant. 

“Meaning?” He asked shooting the hobbit a look, out of the corner of his eye. 

“Patience in adversity.” The hobbit replied with meaning as he plucked one of the flowers and put it behind the dwarf’s ear. Before Dori could ask what he meant Bilbo continued. “It reminds me of you.” He said before returning to his gardening. 

  
  


After that incident, Dori found himself less tolerant of the prejudice that was thrown at him day after day. After he had put the last customer in their place but before he could defend himself to his boss Alaric walked over with a bottle of scotch and two small glasses. 

“I’ve been wanting to tell the lot of them off for years.” He raised his glass in a salute to Dori. “You are a braver man than I Master Dwarf.” After which he took a deep drink. Dori joined him after a moment. 

“Call me Dori, Master Alaric.” The dwarf said. 

“Then you must call me Alaric.” The tailor said. 

Then after a new glass, they drank to the start of a promising new friendship and patience in the face of adversity. 


	5. Snapdragon (deception and graciousness)

Nori had never seen more jewelry in his life. Bilbo had brought the dwarves to his second cousin’s birthday party, Dragon or Drogo, something like that. The others were having a great time drinking, dancing, or eating. Or in Thorin’s case staring at their host with semi adoring eyes. 

“Think he knows how obvious he is about it?” Nori asked and Balin’s returning chuckle made the younger dwarf smile. 

“I don’t think so laddy.” He said handing Nori a mug of Brandywine Brew and walked to their king’s side. It was deceptively easy on the way down but packed a punch when it had sat in you for a bit, the hobbits didn’t mess around. 

“Thanks, Master Balin.” He said taking a sip as he reached out and snagged a small broach off of a nasty hobbitess’s dress. She had been ragging into her wee one about eating too much and that Nori knew was a crime in the eye of any normal hobbit.

“Don’t think I hadn’t seen that Master Nori,” Bilbo said teasingly. Nori tried not to choke on his drink as the hobbit shot him a coy look. “Please Lobelia deserves to be taken down a notch or two. Besides,” He said with a sniff.” She nicked it from my home when I came back from our adventure.”

“Then this belongs to you,” Nori said handed him the piece of jewelry and Bilbo smiled at him kindly. 

“Keep it. If you want.” The hobbit said kindly. Nori smiled and pocketed it. 

“Care to dance?” The hobbit asked and the thief gladly took his hand. And if he had sent Thorin a saucy wink over the hobbit’s shoulder could you blame him?

The rest of the evening was spent enjoying the hospitality of the little folk of the Shire. Nori woke up the next morning in the arms of a hobbit lad and lass and chuckled under his breath. When he returned to Bag End Bilbo was the only one around as the others were still asleep or at work. 

“Morning Nori did the Gaffer twins tire you out?” The hobbit asked a sly smirk on his face as the dwarf choked on the coffee he had just taken a sip of. Nori highly doubted that Thorin knew about the cheeky side of the hobbit, maybe he would have to orchestrate something to show him.

“Morning Bilbo. I did but they’re twins?” He said incredulously as Bilbo shrugged and placed a plate with two eggs on it. 

“They have the same tastes in a partner so they don’t mind sharing. I was quite well acquainted with their parents before they were born.” The hobbit said the last part with a slight blush on his cheeks. Nori, who had just taken a huge bite of egg, choked again. Bilbo wordlessly handed him a glass of water with a devilish smile on his face. Thorin definitely didn’t know about that.

“Is there anything else I need to know that might kill me as I eat my breakfast?” The hobbit, who had been nibbling on a bit of toast, looked thoughtful. 

“I’m related to almost everyone in the Shire. I am technically in line to rule the Shire, but I believe you already knew that. I have laid with many a hobbit some of it because of lust and some because I was seeking intimacy. The Gamgees and I have had that arrangement for a while. Hobbits have both a valley and a trowel because we are the children of the earth. I have never been pregnant before but there have been scares. And if my soulmate, or One as you would say, makes food for me I will instantly become pregnant.” Here Bilbo sipped on his tea as Nori gapped at him. 

“Gamgee...Pregnancy by eating food...trowel and valley! What does that...Oh.” Bilbo giggled over his spluttering. 

“Yes, the Gamgees were very close to my parents. They taught me how to pleasure men and women alike. Yes, it’s strange but hobbits can get pregnant by the one that they were made for. It has something to do with knowing that they can provide for you and for the child. And yes valley referees to the female reproductive organ and the trowel is the male equivalent.” Bilbo said evenly. 

“Do you need anything to help with that?” Nori asked trying not to gap anymore at Bilbo than he already had. Bilbo giggled again.

“You don’t have to step around it. We’re both adults. But yes I have a cycle so I need linens for that but sometimes the stores don’t sell them to me.” He said with a shrug. 

“Do hobbits sell the linen to each other?”

“Well yes but sometimes there are shortages in a fabric delicate enough. Hobbits require a delicate touch on their, well, delicates. That doesn’t mean that romps can’t get a bit rough now and again.”

“Do you have linens? When does your next cycle start and is there anything I can help you with?” Bilbo laughed and drank his tea.

“No, I have to pick some up. Lobelia bought them out of the stores recently, the woman who you stole the broach from. She usually tries to get to them before I can. My next cycle is next week. And no but I might cramp up so cooking and gardening are hard sometimes.” Nori hummed as the hobbit began to clean up the meal. He had a robbery to plan. 

Lobelia Sackville-Baggins was ridiculously easy to burgle. She had even left her back door open for Mahal’s sake. He entered into a spare room and saw strips and strips of linen. He had learned from Bilbo that an average hobbit’s cycle was five to six days. So he left the great Lobelia Sackville-Baggins enough for a week and took the lot. 

If Bilbo needed linens surely the other hobbits and hobbitesses did as well. 

Bilbo crowed in delight as Nori entered with the bag of stolen linens. He took enough for his next two cycles and gave Bell the rest to distribute. 

And the next day Bilbo was in the garden planting snapdragons. 

“Snapdragons. What do those mean?” Bilbo blinked up at him in surprise causing the dwarf to laugh. “ I do know a thing or two about the fact that flowers have their own language. I just don’t know what they mean.”

“Deception and graciousness,” Bilbo said with a pointed look.

“Oh, it’s me isn’t it?” Bilbo gave him a soft smile as he nodded. “Rather fitting it seems.”

“I thought so.”

“Want some help?”

“Yes please!” And so the two got to work and that’s where the two were found when the others returned. 


	6. Chapter 6: Violet (loyalty, devotion, faithfulness, and modesty.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, sorry that I've been AWOL for like two months haha.
> 
> Here's an update!

Ori had been fascinated with the idea of flower language the first time he had learned about it when he was a young dwarfling. He had followed Bilbo learning about the language, what each flower meant, what Bilbo thought each dwarf was, and how they were used in society. Bilbo taught him the basic everyday meanings of some flowers. 

He had smiled when he learned of Bilbo’s plan to plant something to remind him of each dwarf. He thought that the plants that Bilbo had already planted fit the dwarves they were made for very well. However, the stubborn hobbit wouldn’t tell him what he had in mind for him and it had already been two months since the dwarves had arrived at Bag End. 

“I won’t tell you if you keep being a bother,” Bilbo said sticking his hip out and sticking a batter-covered spoon in the young dwarf’s face. Ori smothered a laugh as he nodded guiltily. “But I will give you some hints,” Bilbo said with a giggle as the young dwarf’s face lit up as he turned back to his breakfast making. 

  
  


It wasn’t till later in the day when the dwarves had all returned and it was suggested that they bathe in the Brandywine River that Bilbo gave Ori his first hint. 

“No, I think that we should take turns in Master Bilbo’s bathing rooms to keep up the image that he is a respectable hobbit still.” Bilbo gave him a gentle smile even as his fellow Company members loudly rejected that idea. 

“I side with Ori on this one.” Thorin’s deep baritone cut through the rumblings in the Company as it always did. Ori noted with some delight that Bilbo was blushing as Thorin spoke. By now they all knew that the king and the hobbit were quite smitten with each other. The hobbit and the king smiled at each other as the dwarves complained. 

“Hey!” Ori snapped garnering everyone’s attention. “Plumming and privacy are much better than what we get on the road so get cleaning.” The dwarves all cheered a hardy ‘Aye’ as they scrambled to get clean. 

“Modesty,” Bilbo said quietly after they had all gone. The young dwarf perked. 

“My first clue?” He asked excitedly as the hobbit giggled and moved to the kitchen. 

  
  


His excitement didn’t last long when he realized how many flowers there were about modesty and how many of them had double meanings as well. As if sensing his defeat the hobbit swept back into the room with a plate of Ori’s favorite cookies in tow. 

“The Gamgees are coming over for dinner.” He said while allowing the dwarf to grab one. “I’m sure as your brother mentioned I have had relations with both Bell and Hamfast.” 

Ori promptly choked on his cookie. His brother had decidedly not mentioned that probably due to a certain king. 

“I would like to make sure that only you, Nori, and I be the only ones to know.” Bilbo was nervously rubbing his hands together as he wiggled in place. Ori felt his face blush as he realized how cute the hobbit could be. Thorin was one lucky dwarf. “Please keep Bell and Hamfast too distracted to say anything. I know that dwarves are a little more secretive than hobbits. And well…”

“You don’t want Thorin to know.” Bilbo’s eyes widened and he blushed, nodding his head. 

“You can count on me, Bilbo.” The hobbit kissed his cheek as he moved further into the hobbit hole, Ori assumed to tell the others about the Gamgees. He blushed at the contact and placed his hand on his cheek. 

  
  


His second and third clues came at the same time. Ori hadn’t been expecting that but the Gamgees drank a lot and the conversation had quickly become quite scandalous. So the young Darrow had really had his work cut out for him. 

“Loyalty,” Bilbo said the next morning over a cup of tea. “And faithfulness.” He said as he smiled at Ori. Ori decided that that was very specific and that he would wait for when Bilbo would tell him. He assumed it was to be soon as Ori’s birthday was approaching. 

Ori was right as on the morning of his creation Bilbo roused him bright and early to plant something in the ground. 

A small violet sat in the hobbit’s hand amongst some seeds. 

“Devotion,” Bilbo said with a smile and Ori smiled as he had been quite devoted to learning the ways of hobbits, specifically how they courted. And if he had happened to leave a book where anyone, ahem Thorin ahem, could find it then that was his own business. 

“I think that’s quite fitting.” The dwarf said and spent the rest of the day with his blood and found family. 

  
  



End file.
